Published: August 28, 2008 12:32 am            

MMA finds its new director

The Meridian Museum of Art has found a new executive director.

After three months of searching, the board of directors has chosen long-time board member and museum enthusiast Kate Cherry to take over operations there. Kate will follow Terry Heder who served as the Museum’s director for 18 years. 

Cherry holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Mississippi State University, but was an art major at East Mississippi Community College. She said her husband, Terry, an art instructor at EMCC, inspired her to leave her previous career as an insurance auditor and become a full time artist back in 1992. She specializes in mixed media and pottery.

“Kate’s talents are very diverse," said Dr. Judie Miller, MMA board president, "from insurance and auditing to artist, instructor and gallery owner.” 

Cherry served as a board member in various officer positions including past president, and chair of a long list of special events for MMA since 1999. She was also named MMA’s 2001 Volunteer of the Year. Cherry’s own work was selected as Best in Show during the 1995 Arts in the Park event.

Cherry said she hopes to broaden the museum's membership as well as it's art education programs. She said she would like to add more media to the summer youth art classes, to encourage tours of the museums by schools, and hopes to add some adult art classes to the museum's offerings as well. She said she isn't yet sure which types of adult classes may be added, but that she hopes to have local artists as teachers.

  “We were very fortunate to have had so many qualified applicants for the position of director,” Miller said. “We received more than 30 applications during the search process from across the country.”

Cherry said she's excited to be the new MMA director. "It's a great passion for me," she said. "I want to keep the museum as an active and viable organization in the City of Meridian."

“We strongly feel that Kate will be a tremendous asset to MMA,” Miller said. “She brings a wide variety of skills and new experiences to share with us and the east Mississippi arts community.”

Cherry’s duties with MMA will begin Sept. 1.

        

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